Monday, May 12, 2008

A Few More Blooms

It has been a fast paced few days for me. We worked on the Illinois Spring Bird Count. That took an entire day. Mother's Day was a a wash out in that it rained and the wind blew the entire day. I wasn't able to get into the garden until today. I found this mass of honeysuckle lying on the ground. It must have fallen over during the storm yesterday. I wouldn't have minded so bad but there was a robin's nest in the top of it with three eggs. This robin has nested here successfully the past several years . I didn't get the honeysuckle cut back before she took up residence this year. I was just going to wait until the first clutch hatched before I trimmed it back. I wish I had gone ahead. I guess the it was top heavy and it went over. The vine is fine but our little momma has to start all over.On a happier note the small varigated Wigelia I planted during the drought last year survived the winter. It is now blooming. Its blooms are very pretty. They are white with a pink blush. This was one of my $12 bushes I guess it didn't come with a tag because I can't find one with a name for it. When it grows up to be a $100 plant I think it will be gorgeous. With all the rain there are several different types of mushrooms popping up out of the mulch. I always wonder what the names of these things are. Mushrooms are so difficult to id. The Irises took a big hit with all the wind and water. This is one of the dark yellow ones that survived. At least I will get another chance at some blooms with all these buds. You can see the native Columbine blooming up a storm in the background. They make great companions in the garden.

Here is a blue and white Iris I had forgotten that I had. It has several buds yet to bloom.

Luna was happy that it stopped raining too. She found a high and dry spot in the garden where she could take a nap. She was just about to plop onto some Patriot hostas that are just coming up. In this same area where Luna was napping there is a white Columbine blooming. I don't remember planting it. I must have but I sure don't remember. I think I am having a lot of memory drops so to speak. Do you find things in your garden that you don't remember planting? Maybe it is just me. Hmmmmmm

Lisa, I have a bunch of mushrooms sprouting up from all the rain we have had. Once on a vacation to Russia, we went mushroom picking with some Russian friends who knew what they were doing. Each time I see the mushrooms in my yard, I do wonder what, if anything, I'm passing up.Heirloom Gardener

Aaahh poor mummy robin, always so sad when this happens.I really struggle with weigela, obviously it doesn't like the environment....but I am not going to give up because it is so beautiful.Luna looks well, and laying pretty amongst your hostas. She looks such a gentle soul.I love fungi in the garden, we get a lot here but mainly in the autumn. You are right with the id. Every year we get what I think is a currant bun.....it is supposed to tast wonderful and people will pay a lot for them. I am way to frightened to try!!!

Lisa,memory drops is regular here at ewa in the Garden.This year some hosta plantings fell into that kinda black hole :)I started to mark plantings, that are unvisible for some part of the year with little sticks, but anyway surprises are still coming.

Hi Lisa, your garden is looking good, even with the damage of that violent wind. We had it too while visiting on the mountain in North Carolina, it about blew us off our feet! Luna is being very careful with her paws not smashing the hostas. What a good girl. We have completely lost a large hosta here, Sagae. It must have been dug up with the Killer removal, it was in that area, but where did it go? I wouldn't have thrown it out. All the hostas are up, I didn't write it in my journal for some reason. The journal entries are suffering due to the blogging, I think. I had better start writing the names of the new purchases in there or else they will be unknowns in the future. Love your iris.Frances

Yes Beckie, the wind was awful. I didn't think there were any dead limbs or sticks that could come down after all the wind this winter but I had to pick up sticks before Gary could mow yesterday.

Heirloom Gardener, my BIL finds and eats different mushrooms. I am too scared to eat them even when he finds them. The only ones I am sure of are the morels and I hear there are look alikes of them that can kill you.

Yes Joyce, we had a nice day monday to make up for all that cold, wind and rain.

Oh Robin, I hope you get to feeling better soon. YOu are under so much stress with your new job and trying to do all the spring planting etc. Hang in there it will get better.

I have never heard of Currant Bun Cheryl. I will have to look it up to see what it looks like.

Ewa, the older I get the larger the black hole becomes.

Yes Jayne, all is well and good here now.

Frances you are so right about the journal suffering due to the blogging. I don't like that part of blogging. I always think I will look back at the blog to see when I wrote about something but I rarely do that.

I have the hosta Sagae. It hasn't matured yet. It is a pretty one. I sometimes dig up things I forget about that are dormant. Sigh...

Lisa, We had the same rain and wind this weekend, and I have several nests in the yard. I haven't investigated yet to see if there are eggs in them, but I feel so sorry for the bird parents.Your irises are beautiful; I finally have some buds on ones I transplanted a year ago and hope to see them bloom soon.Thanks for posting a picture of Luna; haven't seen her in awhile!

Sorry to hear that Mother’s Day was a wash out and what a shame about the nest in your honeysuckle. As you say the robin will just have to start nest building again. It must happen quite a lot in the wild too with the winds bringing down trees.

Oh… I love that columbine! I don’t so much find things that I don’t remember planting. It is more a case of the plants being moved around the garden and some piece survives only to reappear a few years later - then I remember why I am seeing it there!

I wish I knew a bit more about flowers and plants, but generally leave them to my better half, however I do like the one in the 5th photo it looks stunning, great set of shots.PS Thanks for all your kind comments.

What bad weather you have been experiencing Lisa. I'm happy to see that it is much better now and that you and lovely Luna can enjoy the outdoors once again.

BTW it doesn't have to be a case of memory dropping it could be bird dropping that is responsible for some of the surprises in your garden. ;-) Gorgeous irises, wish they would flower much much longer than they do.

Dear Lisa,So sorry for Mrs. Robin! So sad. We also had the high winds. I have been enjoying this cool spring so very much. The soil is still too cold for some seeds. I am hoping after the 15th to be sowing.I think the birds and the wind plant as much in the gardens as I do! When ever I see a plant I do not recall planting I think is is a bird plant. LOLYour blooms look so pretty.Sherry

Every year I find some plants which I do not remember to have planted them. I like this of surprise :-). BTW, my tree peonies don't have many flowers too, though some of the plants are quite big shrubs already. But I like the fews I have and enjoy them.Have a good week Lisa!

When I find things I haven't planted on my allotment I blame the previous owner. Ha can take it since he left it in a sparkling condition; I hardly have to weed at all. My indoor gardens are another thing; there are a few pots (selfwatering containers luckely) in constant danger of becoming forgotten.

Maybe it's not your mind that's playing tricks on you, but birds?I plant so little that whatever's here is due to another's efforts.

We lost a tree in the storm, too.Only a locust (weed), but the gaping hole it leaves is disturbing. Not to mention the hassle of wrestling with it and reclaiming our front yard.I hope that when we uncover our cherry and lilac beneath it, they will be ok.

Ha! I love the look on Luna's face. When Coco gets those same "sleepy eyes" I just can't resist letting her plop on *almost* whatever she wants! Hence me not having any dianthus blooms this year, probably--she mistook that for grass last week. lol.

Your variegated weigela is gorgeous. And whoever planted it (maybe it was a gift of sorts?) chose a very pretty white columbine. :)